Capital High School Arts and Technology

Section 2 – IT Systems in a Social Context

In this section neither the social and ethical issues nor the technological concepts listed under knowledge of technology are exhaustive nor is the study of all of them compulsory. They are given as examples only.

Teachers should make a judgment on the level of detail and depth of study that is required to enable students to understand the social and ethical issues that arise in the areas of impact because of the use of information technology.

New technological developments during the lifetime of this syllabus will raise new social and ethical issues that will affect the areas of impact. Teachers should introduce these technological developments and related issues into the course as appropriate, using the integrated approach illustrated in the diagram at the beginning of the syllabus details.

2.1 Basics: hardware and networks

2.1.1 Systems fundamentals

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems. These may include:

the economic value of information

environmental issues related to the production of computer components and supplies

environmental issues related to the disposal of obsolete hardware and computer supplies

health issues and ergonomics related to the use of hardware

password protection, security, biometrics and authorized access

issues related to viruses on both stand-alone and network systems

greater dependence of organizations on IT

increase in teleworking and the virtual office

the need for ongoing training and retraining

the economic and psychological implications of planned IT obsolescence in hardware, software and services, which has been forced on consumers by the IT industry.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems, the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

ability to monitor users (surveillance); concerns of people regarding monitoring

ability to filter incoming data

ability to control personal, business, military, government operations over a wide geographical area

increased globalization, for example, EFT, EDI, e-commerce

need for interface standards

need for network use policy.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

2.2 Applications

2.2.1 Software fundamentals

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software. These may include:

bug-free software

software piracy

interfaces adapted for the disabled

language independence of GUIs, making computers accessible to a very wide range of users, including those with special needs, and very small children

use of password protection to prevent unauthorized access

globalization of software.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software, the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

2.2.2 Databases and spreadsheets

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and spreadsheets. These may include:

privacy of information in different cultures

rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data

social consequences of outdated or incorrect data stored in databases

social consequences of the release of sensitive data stored in databases

legislation on access and use of database information in different countries

responsibility for the security of data stored in databases from different perspectives, for example, the developer, the user and the management of an organization

accountability for the negative social effects caused by insecure databases

ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data\ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases, the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.

effects of word processing and DTP on the workplace, for example, job loss, deskilling, surveillance

ergonomics/health impacts of word processing and DTP in the workplace

social impact of speech-enabled input/output.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts.
These may include:

effective use of word processing functions to streamline production of documents

use of appropriate fonts, white space and line spacing to create output that communicates effectively.

2.2.4 Images, sound and presentations

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, for example, multimedia, slideshows, virtual reality, games. These may include:

intellectual property relating to the copying and modifying of text, images, sound and video (fair
use policies)

copyright issues

printed versus electronically published information

health issues related to virtual reality

multimedia solutions for disabled persons

multilingual selection possibilities of CD-ROMs and DVD

surveillance and privacy

global access to information available on CD-ROMs versus Internet

use of virtual actors in films

biased information

reliability of data

social and ethical issues related to games.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and
presentations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may
include the following.

Updating and combining sounds or images at a later point in time to create a new work of art

2.2.5 Modelling and simulations

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modelling and
simulations. These may include:

reliability of predictions based on computer models, for example, weather, global warming

economic effects of the use of models to design and test new products

security issues involved in military simulations

social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy

responsibility of the designer for accuracy of assumptions underlying the model

ethical considerations involved in deciding when to use models or simulations to ensure human
safety.

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modelling and simulations,
the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

key terms—model, simulation, feedback loop

faulty or hidden assumptions

extent to which the phenomenon being modelled is understood

processing power needed to create complex models

visualization of information

correspondence of the model with reality.

2.2.6 Tutorials, training and wizards (assistants)

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training
and wizards. These may include

the balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training

the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and
tutorial software

the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training and
wizards, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

using wizards, assistants and online assistants in the design and creation of a product, for example,
desktop-published documents, slideshows, web sites.

2.3 Communication systems

2.3.1 The Internet

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet. These
may include:

reliability and authenticity of information

social consequences of addiction to the Internet

social impact of global viruses

social impact of dependence on the Internet

etiquette rules for appropriate behaviour when using the Internet

social impact of the domination of English as the main web language

social impact of theft of identity through the Internet

social impact of open access to unsuitable material on the Internet

ethical issues related to misuse of the Internet, for example, spamming

ethical considerations of IT-rich versus IT-poor nations as a result of differing access

ethical considerations relating to the use of encryption

ethical considerations relating to workplace monitoring.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet, the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public
communications, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may
include:

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of robotics, the student
must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

key terms—robot, android, cyborg, sensors

determining situations in which it is more appropriate to use a robot than a human being

types of input/output peripherals used in various situations, for example, arms, fingers, voice, wheels

reasons why robots are/are not designed as androids with human-like form

the capabilities and limitations of robots with respect to vision, touch, sound and movement

processing power in relation to the capabilities and limitations of robots.

2.4.2 Artificial intelligence and expert systems

Social and ethical issuesStudents must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence
(AI) and expert systems. These may include:

responsibility for the performance of an expert system—knowledge engineer, informant, programmer,
company that sold it, the buyer/consumer

value of the development of AI as a field, for example, whether it is an appropriate place to put
economic resources

ethical issues of various applications of AI, for example, replacement of human workers, handing
decision-making tasks to a computer

social impact of the use of “smart” machines on everyday life

ethical issues related to military applications of AI, for example, smart weapons, reconnaissance,
decision making

implications of creative production by computers using AI, for example, Aaron, an expert system,
creates visual art

access to the knowledge base underlying an inference engine in an expert system, for example,
whether people affected by decisions made using an expert system should have access to the rules
by which the decision was made.

Knowledge of technologyIn order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of AI and expert systems,
the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include: